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Weekend stage forecast: Sabrina Carpenter at Amalie
Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter, who performs Friday at Amalie Arena, is the toast of the record charts this week:
Three singles from her No. 1 album Short n’ Sweet reached the Top 10 singles chart – “Please Please Please” (her first chart-topper, in June), then “Taste,” then “Expresso,” which is No. 3 and climbing this week.
Billboard says: “Carpenter is the first artist to notch a run of as many as eight weeks with at least three simultaneous Hot 100 top 10s this decade.” Translation: It’s a good thing.
The Sabrina Carpenter story began 13 years ago, when she co-starred on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World.
The concert is almost sold out. At press time, available floor tickets listed for over $1,300. Here’s the ticket link.
Beach party
The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber is throwing a free and family-friendly concert Friday in Horan Park, 7701 Boca Ciega Drive, St. Pete Beach. The 6-9 p.m. event is headlined by a Heart tribute band and will feature a silent auction (from hotel stays to gift cards) a raffle, and food and beverages for purchase. All proceeds will assist beach employees who have been displaced from their jobs as a result of the hurricanes. For more information, call 727-360-6957.
More concerts
Jazz vocalist Samara Joy is at the Capitol Theatre Friday. This show was originally postponed by the arrival of Hurricane Milton. Tickets.
At the Yuengling Center Friday: Rapper Latto, named 2023 “Best Female Hip-Hop Artist” by BET. Tickets.
Soul Picnic: A Celebration of Laura Nyro at Stageworks Theatre is sold out Saturday; a few tickets remain (here) for the Friday night performance.
At the Mahaffey Theater Saturday: Denmark-born metal vocalist King Diamond and the band that bears his stage name. Tickets.
The 1986 Jim Henson-directed Labyrinth screens Saturday at Ruth Eckerd Hall, with David Bowie’s singing vocals isolated – a live band plays while the Goblin King (Bowie) sings. The band, in fact, plays all the music as the film unspools. Got that? Tickets.
Insult comic Jeff Ross, aka “Roastmaster General,” performs Saturday in the Straz Center’s Ferguson Hall. Tickets.
At Morsani Hall (Straz Center) Saturday and Sunday: British singer-songwriter Rex Orange County (Alexander O’Connor), a protégé of Tyler the Creator, whose album Who Cares” reached No. 1 in his homeland. Tickets.
The Martin Barre Band returns to Largo’s Central Park Performing Arts Center Monday (Oct. 28). Barre, of course, was lead guitarist in Jethro Tull from 1969 until 2012, or thereabouts (it’s a long story). Here’s the guy that played those blistering riffs and solos on “Aqualung,” “Thick as a Brick,” “Minstrel in the Gallery” and many, many more. His band does vintage Tull better than Ian Anderson’s current incarnation of the band. Tickets.
On theater stages
The Boy Who Loved Batman continues at the Straz Center’s Jaeb Theatre, with David M. Jenkins now in the lead role. Jenkins, who’s the producing artistic director of Jobsite Theater, is also the director of that company’s Halloween offering, Gorey Stories, next door in the Shimberg Playhouse. Tickets for both shows are here.
American Stage’s producing artistic director Helen R. Murray wrote the historical, hysterical Halloween show Weird in St. Pete, which is now onstage – well, it’s sort of a stage – inside the multi-colored FloridaRAMA art attraction, part of The Factory St. Pete. Find tickets here.
Radio Theatre Project returns for its 15th season Monday (Oct. 28) at 7 p.m. at The Studio@620; it’s the annual Halloween show. The “live radio broadcast” company’s Bonnie Agan and James Rayfield are Friday’s guests on our Arts Alive! podcast. Tickets are available at the door.
The Florida Orchestra
The Florida Orchestra sets the classics aside for this weekend’s concerts, both of which are at the Mahaffey Theater. Friday (8 p.m.) a tropical theme is in the offing – it’s Parrots & Palms, a symphonic interpretation of songs by Jimmy Buffett, plus “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Blue Bayou,” “Southern Cross,” Kokomo” and other easygoing stuff. TFO will be joined by guest vocalist.
Sunday at 2 p.m., the Haunted Halls Family Concert, with the TFO musicians dressed in Halloween costumes (as the audience is encouraged to) and performing music from Star Wars, Jaws, Pirates of the Caribbean, Nightmare Before Christmas, E.T. and more.
Chelsea Gallo is the conductor for both concerts. All tickets are available here.
Your weekend stage forecast appears every Thursday in the Catalyst’s CREATE section.
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